Blog Archives

December 8-9, 2012

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Ready to head up the trail to the Red Heather Winter Campsite (camping by the Red Heather Shelter is only permitted in the winter) .

The journey up to Red Heather is a gentle 5 km. ascent along a really beautiful trail.

The only viewpoint on the trail. Looking south over Squamish and the Stawamus Chief (the location of our annual Investiture Ceremonies).

Group photo compliments of a passing group of snowshoers.

Onward and upward.

Making good progress.

The Garibaldi Massif to the north shows itself briefly through the clouds.

The Red Heather Shelter was busy Saturday night with us and 11 others (backcountry skiers) camped in tents outside.

Doing it right! Starting them young! This ski touring couple camped with their 10 month old baby girl near to us Saturday night.

Heading back to our tent after a nice dinner and some socializing with other campers at the Red Heather Shelter.

The sun is down and the temperature is dropping….time for bed.

Up before the boys….time for a nice hot cup of coffee. My Sunday morning moment of bliss.

The blanket of falling snow muffles all the sounds on this quiet Sunday morning.

The boys don’t want to get up. That’s okay….there’s no rush this morning.

Baby and parents had a good night’s sleep. Everyone’s starting to gear up for some more backcountry skiing. Important reading: the current avalanche hazard report (conditions acceptable) brought up to us by a ski touring Park Ranger.

Time to head home. The next time we’re here the Shelter will probably be buried even more. By the new year only the front door and chimney will be visible.

Well, we had time for one last trip back to the ‘Joff before the winter snow begins slowly disappearing from the Mountains.

This time we had guests from Pemberton joining us: Jason Gadd and his son Ben. They had such a good time that we’ll have to find a way of creating a Pemberton branch of the 5th West Van Mountaineer Scouts!

We also had 19-year-old Sam Lotzkar and his friend David join us. They also had an excellent time winter camping for the first time in their lives. Maybe we’ve got our first Rovers for our group?

Saturday morning we saddled up and snowshoed into the mountains. We ate lunch in the sun at Middle Joffre Lake and then continued on to Upper Joffre Lake.

After five camping trips to the park since November, it was the perfect end of a perfect season to finally put our snowshoe prints into the snow on Upper Joffre Lake below the towering Joffre and Matier Peaks and the stunning Matier Glacier!

We took the opportunity to do a leader investiture ceremony on the lake under the glacier for our new leader, Scouter Alan! What a spot for that ceremony! It was like being in a cathedral with the rocks and ice towering all around us.

The weather began socking in and it starting snowing so…with heavy hearts after only a short visit to the “Joffre Cathedral”…we had to turn around and head back to basecamp.

But you can be sure we’ll be back and next time…let’s camp at the Upper Lake!

With all the Scouts in bed on Saturday night, the adults sat in our carved out snow living room and chatted about the day’s adventures.

At 11pm our conversation was interrupted by a sound from high up in the mountains that crackled like rolling thunder for over 5 seconds…something very large, heavy and hard broke loose up there and crashed down the mountain…this was no mere avalanche…it sounded as if half the glacier had broken off.

A good reminder for us to be ever vigilant out there and to take the mountains seriously every time we go out.

UPDATE – 04/16/12: I just got this wonderful message from Jason Gadd regarding this weekend’s trip up in the mountains:

“HI Jody – Thanks for having us. Ben said that Saturday was one of the best days of his life! It was pretty great.”

Saturday morning…getting ready to head up the mountain.

Lunch in the sun at Middle Joffre Lake.

The view from our lunch spot at Middle Joffre Lake.

Tired, happy hikers arrive at last our their destination!

Upper Joffre Lake and the Matier Glacier!

Scout Tree.

Getting ready to do Scouter Alan’s investiture under the glacier.

Welcome new Scouter, Alan!

The sweet taste of success!

Having some fun fooling around while watching backcountry skiers ski from the top of the glacier down to the lake below.

Mountaineer Scouts….THIS IS HOW WE ROLL! Who else would figure out that avalanche probes make excellent flag poles?

The wind’s starting to kick up and the snow is falling….time to wrap this trip up and head for basecamp. But you know that we’ll be back!

February 17-19, 2012

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Back to the Joff’…let’s git ‘er done boys!

Down the trail to the lake.

What’s for dinner boys?

Time for bed.

Early Saturday morning bliss: A cup of coffee before the boys get up.

Enjoying a nice hot breakfast.

Ready to head up into the mountains.

Having a good time.

Moving on.

Moving up.

Moving higher.

Higher and higher. I know we’re getting somewhere: the trees are getting shorter.

Phew…that was a tough climb. Time for lunch!

And now time for a surprise: the highest investiture ceremony this year! 6,300 ft up in the mountains of Joffre Lakes Provincial Park. The 5th West Vancouver Mountaineer Scouts are pleased to introduce our newest member: Scout Finn!

With the day being late and the weather threatening to close in on us, we abandon our effort to get to Upper Joffre Lake – despite it being so close – and head home. We’ll get there next time.

No wonder my quads hurt so much! This was a steep hill.

Gee, I guess that really was a steep climb up!

All most home. The mountain was smiling on us today!

Finally home! Time for dinner and some R&R.

Relaxing around the campfire before bed. Thanks to Scouter Maciej for making such a nice campfire for the boys!

Another snowy night. Time to have breakfast, pack up camp and head back home.

We’ll be back and next time we’re going all the way!

Postscript: Upon later review, it would appear that our trusty trail boss had us hike to the area of the small lake shown in the above map that is about 1 km due west and about 1200 ft higher than Upper Joffre Lake. Ouch! Don’t tell anyone, okay? ;^) Someone remind me to check that the trail boss is packing a map before our next hike!